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Ziggy Marley talks running with his father, Bob Marley, and why running is the one thing that he can not do without.

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Growing up, you played music with your father, Bob Marley. But your relationship also included running and other sports. What is your earliest childhood memory of running with him?

My father used to run early in the morning on the beach in Kingston. One of his friends was one of the best professional soccer players in Jamaica, so they used to run in the mornings, and some mornings my father would take me with him. When I was a child, that run seemed so long. But when I grew up, I continued to do that run, and it kind of wasn't that long. It was a good run, a very scenic run: nature, fresh air, early morning, good oxygen, the waves hitting the sand–very good vibes for running.

When did running become important to your overall exercise routine, and why?

Well, I've always been running–from my childhood through high school–playing sports. I was on the soccer team in high school, so we used to do a lot of running. Fitness has always been one of the top priorities in my life because that's the way I grew up, with soccer being the sport of choice. There's a lot of running in that.

It's also an example I got from my parents. My mother [Rita Marley] used to run, too. My mother used to take me running around the reservoir in Kingston. In high school, we lived in the hills. I used to run through the streets where I lived, which was all hills. So from a child to now, I haven't stopped running.

You reside in Florida, Jamaica, and California. What do you like most about running in each of these distinct locations?

In Jamaica, the fishermen go fishing early in the morning, so by the time I'm coming back from my jog, the fishermen are coming in with their boats. So at that point, I take a swim in the ocean, and then I help the fishermen push up their boats onto the shore. Then I'll buy some fish and just cook and eat it right there on the beach, have some tea, and then go back into the city.

I like that; I like the whole experience of doing that. When I have to, I'll go on a treadmill. But I hate being on a treadmill. I love running in nature. I don't like running on the streets, I don't like running in the city, I don't like running on the concrete. I love running in nature, so Jamaica provides a lot of that for me.

In Miami, when I can, I get to the beach. But I don't actually do a lot of running there because it's streets. What I do is play soccer. In California, I don't get enough soccer, so I do more running. And where I am is pretty cool; it's a cul-de-sac, and at the end of the road is a park. It's hills and flats, and it's nature and it's trees, and it's coyotes and rabbits and birds, so I love that. I love the hills because they remind me of Jamaica. There's one big one, and when I have to climb it, I think, "Oh, here comes this terrible hill. It's so hard, but this is where I'm going to make the greatest gain." So the running I do in California becomes a mental thing, a mental strength. It helps me with my mental state and confidence. I like that aspect of running in California.

On more than one occasion, you've said that music is spiritual and invigorating. What words and feelings come to mind when you discuss the subject of running?Running is meditative–and spiritual, too, for me. I mean, I could use that answer for everything in my life because that's the type of person I am. Running is a part of my medicine. It's what helps relieve my stress, and it's what helps me get away from the concerns of business and anything else that's going on in my life that I need to escape from at times–to find who I am. Running really helps me with that. When I go running, as I said, nature is a big part of my running. I have to be in nature, so that is a part of my therapy. I feel terrible if I don't get my exercise in, if I don't run. I cannot do without it. I have to do it.

Talk about your regular running routine when you're home–how often and what your daily mileage might be.I run four times a week. And I don't count miles–I don't do that. I don't care about that. I care about how I feel, and I run according to how I feel. Some days I run, and I say, "I can't go long today," and then I go with that. Usually, I probably run about 40 minutes to an hour. But I don't count the miles because, to me, it's not about the miles–it's about how I feel. I know I'm getting fitness from it because I can see it in my body. I can feel it. I can feel my heart working. One thing about it is it has to push me. I have to push myself. Some days I take it easy, but most days I have to push myself because there's also a physical aspect that I'm hoping to get from the running that I'm doing–to strengthen my heart and my lungs. That's very important for me, especially if I have to go on tour and spend a lot of time on the bus–that's when I don't get a chance to do these runs. So before I leave for a tour, I do extensive running so I have that stuff in reserve.

How do you dress for a run? What gear do you prefer?"A sweatsuit bottom and a light top. At one point in time, I bought maybe five or six pairs of shoes. I was trying to find the right running shoe. But where I run in the hills, it's dirt and it's rocks, so I wear trail shoes.

I'm really curious to know how you prepare your long hair before you go out for a run.Usually I run with my hair tucked in the back of my sweatshirt. And that's because there are some bushes where I run, and I don't want my hair to get snagged on the bushes. My hair is pretty long, so I need to keep it together.

I would imagine that no matter what you're wearing or how your hair looks, you're still recognizable in public. What kind of reaction do you get from people when you're on a run?Sometimes people might say hi or something like that, but where I run, I don't get a lot of that. The only time I probably get anything like that is if I'm in California and I go down to Santa Monica on the beach. If I run there, a few people might say hi or take a picture or something like that. But otherwise, I'm a low-key type of person. I'm the worst dresser. My wife hates it. Even when I go for a run, I look terrible. I look like a bum! "Look: There's a bum running!"

Do you bring an iPod with you, and if so, what's on it?No. I don't listen to music when I run. I listen to nature when I run. Plus, I want to hear what's happening around me. I don't want to be isolated, so I don't listen to music when I run. When I run, I look–I look around; I see things. I look at the waves; I look at people. In the hills, there are lots of animals and trees. And plus, in the California hills there are coyotes, so I want to hear if something is coming up behind me. I need to keep my ears and eyes open all the time.

Have there been instances when ideas for songs came to you while running?Yeah, man. There's a point in the run where my mind is working and ideas are coming, and then there's a point where my mind is empty. I get a lot of inspiration from running. Ideas come to me–songs, or parts of songs. That's one of the best times, one of the most inspirational times–during a run. I'm not counting miles. I'm just running for the run of it. I'm just running, and that really opens up my mind to ideas, so yeah, stuff does come.

Tell me about the most interesting thing you've ever seen while on a run.I've seen a lot during runs. In Jamaica, once on the beach, I saw a dead body come up out of the ocean. That's kinda gross. When I travel, I try to find parks to run in. I was in Europe, and I had some beautiful runs in some parks over there. Other than that body, there's nothing out of the ordinary.

Are you a fan of any professional runners, and do watch any of the big races like the New York City Marathon?No, not really. I'm a fan of my fellow Jamaican, Usain Bolt, and I like watching the sprints. But otherwise, no, because I'm not into racing in my runs. I don't watch the sport of running to win. Sometimes I read running magazines to get ideas, but as far as the competition–how long is a marathon?

A marathon is 26.2 miles.I like sports with more action.

I know you do a lot of charity work. Have you ever thought about adding running, some short races, to boost interest in some of your charitable work?No, the only type of charity stuff I've done with sports is soccer because that's my real sport, you know? The running side of me, especially here in California, became a real necessity because I wasn't getting enough soccer. To tell you the truth, when I was younger–and even up to a few years ago–I would rather play soccer than go running because that's where I'm from. It was like, "Oh, no, I have to go running. I can't play soccer, so now I have to go running–boring running." But then I started running more, and I really started to enjoy running. I decided, 'I like this. I'm going to do more.' I started really getting into it and enjoying it. It became something that I actually started looking forward to, and I really enjoy running now more than I ever did.